Roughly 70 languages are spoken at Poe Elementary School in Arlington Heights, ranging from Spanish and Russian, to Korean and Gujarati.

But on a recent Thursday evening, this diverse community of students, parents and teachers were united by a shared passion for all things STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

"If STEM is done right, it's all about hands-on team work, collaboration and imagination," said Poe Principal Christy Campbell.

Campbell spent the evening visiting with local families immersed in various activities, from making slime to building robots, during the school's second annual "Family Makerspace Night."

"You have to offer a range of activities, but with something like our Doodle Wall, it's enjoyed by kids of all ages, from 3 year olds to fifth graders," Campbell said.

The school, which is a part of Wheeling School District 21, on the north side of Arlington Heights is home to about 450 students in kindergarten through fifth grade who come from numerous towns in the area, including Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Wheeling.

The school also is the headquarters for the District 21 Russian Bilingual Program and other programs for English as a Second Language learners, Campbell said.

Brian O'Mahoney/Pioneer Press

Buffalo Grove High School senior Sara Chaker helps out younger students during the “Family Makerspace Night” at Poe Elementary School in Arlington Heights.

Buffalo Grove High School senior Sara Chaker helps out younger students during the “Family Makerspace Night” at Poe Elementary School in Arlington Heights. (Brian O'Mahoney/Pioneer Press)

The recent STEM night also was bolstered by students from Buffalo Grove High School, who served as mentors during the event, helping out the younger students who spilled out across both floors of the building as they engaged in dozens of maker spaces.

"This event is very well attended because everything is hands on, which is great," said Ingrid Maradkel, a mother of three from Arlington Heights.

Maradkel said her son Matthew, a sixth grader at Cooper Middle School in Buffalo Grove, had such good memories of last year's event that he wanted to come back.

"It's definitely engaging, and that's what they like. ... We've been here since it started at 6:30 p.m., and no one is asking me to leave," Maradkel said.

"They both like science, so this is a very good opportunity for them," Park said, adding, "They're so excited. They started asking me a couple of days ago, 'When are we going to school for Makerspace?'"